Chicago Cubs vs. Baltimore Orioles Picks and Prediction for Thursday, July 9, 2026
Use Code SSWC The Chicago Cubs visit the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday at 6:35 PM ET at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. Chicago is 51-40 and sits second in the NL Central, while Baltimore is 42-50 and is fifth in the AL East. The Cubs opened this series with a 5-2 victory on Tuesday and have won three of their last five games, while the Orioles have dropped three of their last five contests. Chicago continues to chase Milwaukee in the division race, while Baltimore is trying to climb back into contention after another inconsistent stretch. Cash a winner with our free MLB picks.
Chicago Cubs Looking to Keep Rolling
Chicago has put together one of the American League's better offensive profiles, ranking 14th in MLB with a .244 team batting average while producing 460 runs, 759 hits, 112 home runs, a .338 on-base percentage, and a .409 slugging percentage. Pete Crow-Armstrong continues to lead the lineup with a .293 batting average, 19 home runs, 50 RBI, and 23 stolen bases. Dansby Swanson has driven in a team-high 58 runs despite batting .211, while Ian Happ has added 17 home runs and Seiya Suzuki has contributed 13 long balls.
The Cubs have relied on solid pitching to complement their offense. Chicago ranks 21st in MLB with a 4.36 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP while holding opponents to a .244 batting average. The pitching staff has recorded 717 strikeouts while limiting free passes, and the Cubs held Baltimore to only two runs in the series opener.
Injuries: Phil Maton, Riley Martin, Hunter Harvey, Jameson Taillon, Matt Shaw.
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Baltimore Orioles Looking to Respond at Home
Baltimore has struggled to find consistency at the plate, batting .237 as a team with 418 runs, 727 hits, 104 home runs, a .318 on-base percentage, and a .393 slugging percentage. Pete Alonso has provided the biggest power threat with 19 home runs and 60 RBI, while Taylor Ward leads the club with a .251 batting average and .379 on-base percentage. Samuel Basallo has added 14 home runs, and Adley Rutschman has driven in 47 runs.
The Orioles have had similar issues on the mound. Baltimore ranks 20th in MLB with a 4.34 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP while allowing opponents to bat .253. The staff has struck out 728 hitters but has struggled to consistently keep runners off base. Baltimore will need a stronger effort after allowing five runs to Chicago in Tuesday's opener if it hopes to even the series.
Injuries: Ryan Helsley, Yaramil Hiraldo, Keegan Akin, Chris Bassitt, Colin Selby.
Pitching Matchup
Chicago Cubs – David Peterson
Peterson enters with a 4-7 record, a 6.75 ERA, and a 1.67 WHIP across 77.1 innings. The left-hander has allowed 96 hits while striking out 68 batters and issuing 33 walks. Peterson has struggled to limit baserunners throughout the season.
Baltimore Orioles – Trevor Rogers
Rogers is 6-7 with a 4.70 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP over 84.1 innings this season. He has allowed 82 hits while striking out 65 batters and walking 29. Rogers has been more consistent than Peterson.
Chicago Cubs vs. Baltimore Orioles Game Pick
- Chicago Cubs
Chicago enters this matchup with the more productive offense and better overall form. The Cubs have scored 39 runs over their last five games and already took the series opener behind another balanced performance. While Peterson has struggled this season, Chicago's lineup has enough depth to overcome that disadvantage against an Orioles pitching staff that has also been inconsistent. The Cubs have been the better club throughout the season and are the play.
Chicago Cubs vs. Baltimore Orioles Over/Under Pick
- Over
Both starting pitchers enter with ERAs above 4.50, and Peterson has allowed plenty of traffic on the bases with a 1.67 WHIP. Chicago's offense has been producing consistently, while Baltimore still has enough power with Alonso, Basallo, and Ward to contribute at home. With both pitching staffs ranking outside the top half of MLB in ERA, the total will cash over.
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